Wishbone (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wishbone |
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| Genre | Children's fantasy comedy-drama |
| Created by | Rick Duffield (Executive producer) |
| Starring | Soccer Jordan Wall Adam Springfield Christie Abbott Mary Chris Wall Angee Hughes Julio Cedillo (Season 2) Mikaila Enriquez (Season 2) Paul English, Jr. (Season 2) |
| Voices of | Larry Brantley as Wishbone |
| Theme music composer |
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| Opening theme | "What's the Story, Wishbone?" |
| Ending theme | "What's the Story, Wishbone?" (Instrumental version) |
| Composer(s) | Tom Merriman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 50 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | Plano, Texas Allen, Texas |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Big Feats! Entertainment |
| Distributor | Southern Star International |
| Release | |
| Original network | PBS |
| Picture format | 480i SDTV |
| Audio format | Dolby Surround |
| Original release | October 9, 1995 – December 4, 1997 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Wishbone's Dog Days of the West TBA |
Wishbone was a popular American children's TV show. It aired from 1995 to 1997 on PBS. The main character is a clever Jack Russell Terrier named Wishbone. He lives with his owner, Joe Talbot, in the town of Oakdale, Texas.
Wishbone loves to daydream. He imagines himself as the main character in famous stories from classic books. He was known as "the little dog with a big imagination." Only the viewers and the characters in his daydreams can hear Wishbone talk. In his daydreams, other characters see him as the human hero, not as a dog.
The show won many awards. These include four Daytime Emmys and a Peabody Award. It was also honored by the Television Critics Association.
Wishbone was filmed in Texas. The outdoor scenes were shot in Allen, Texas. Indoor scenes were filmed in a large warehouse in Plano, Texas. Some extra scenes were filmed in Grapevine, Texas.
The show was praised for how it told classic stories. It often kept the original sad or difficult parts of the books. This made the stories feel more real.
Wishbone also led to many books. Over fifty books about Wishbone were published. They even continued after the TV show stopped making new episodes. Reruns of the show aired on PBS until 2009. A movie based on the series is also being planned.
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How the Show Works
A typical Wishbone episode starts with a scene from Joe's life. This introduces a problem or situation. For example, it might be about planting a tree or helping people.
Then, Wishbone connects this real-life event to a famous book. He imagines himself as a character in that story. He even wears costumes! Wishbone usually plays the main hero. But sometimes, he plays a different role. For example, he played Sancho Panza in Don Quixote. He also played Louis de Conte in the "Joan of Arc" episode.
By the end of the episode, the real-life story often mirrors the classic tale. For example, someone might be saved at the last minute, just like in the book.
At the end of almost every episode, Wishbone explains how the show was made. He might show how stunts were done. He also showed how costumes were designed or how special effects were created.
Meet the Cast
The show featured many talented actors and, of course, a very special dog!
- Soccer, and other dogs like Slugger, Shiner, Phoebe, and Bear, played Wishbone.
- Larry Brantley was the voice of Wishbone.
- Jordan Wall played Joseph "Joe" Talbot.
- Christie Abbott played Samantha "Sam" Kepler.
- Adam Springfield played David Barnes.
- Mary Chris Wall played Ellen MacMillan Talbot.
- Angee Hughes played Wanda Gilmore.
- Jarrad Kritzstein played Jimmy Kidd.
- Julio Cedillo played Travis del Rio.
- Mikaila Enriquez played Melina Finch.
- Paul English, Jr. played Marcus Finch.
Main Characters
Wishbone
Wishbone is the main character. He is a smart dog who loves to read. He sees how classic stories relate to the problems his human friends face. Wishbone is a male Jack Russell Terrier. He has white fur with brown and black spots. He lives with the Talbot family in Oakdale.
Joe Talbot
Joe is Wishbone's teenage owner. He is the only child of Ellen Talbot. Joe has brown hair and loves sports, especially basketball. He plays on his middle school basketball team. His best friends are Sam Kepler and David Barnes. Joe was played by Jordan Wall.
Sam Kepler
Sam is one of Joe and David's best friends. Her dad owns a local pizza place. Sam has long blonde hair. She is very outgoing and loves adventures. She is allergic to coconuts. Sam is a tomboy who enjoys soccer, roller hockey, photography, and drama. Her parents are divorced. Christie Abbott played Sam.
David Barnes
David is Joe and Sam's other best friend. He lives next door to Joe. David lives with his parents, Nathan and Ruth, and his younger sister, Emily. David wants to be a scientist. Adam Springfield played David.
Ellen Talbot
Ellen is Joe's mother. She works as a librarian at the Henderson Memorial Library. Her maiden name is MacMillan. Mary Chris Wall played Ellen.
Wanda Gilmore
Wanda is the Talbots' and Barnes' neighbor. She owns the Oakdale Chronicle newspaper. She is also president of the local Historical Society. Wanda is friendly and cheerful. But she sometimes gets annoyed when Wishbone digs in her flower beds. She has a crush on Joe, David, and Sam's teacher, Bob Pruitt. Angee Hughes played Wanda.
Awards and Recognition
Wishbone received many awards for its quality children's programming:
- Academy of Television Arts & Sciences First Honor Roll of Children's Programming, 1999
- George Foster Peabody Award, 1998
- Emmy Award – Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design, 1997
- Emmy Award – Costume Design/Styling, 1997
- Emmy Award – Graphics and Title Design, 1997
- Emmy Award – Costume Design/Styling, 1996
- Television Critics Association – Best Children's Show, 1996 and 1997
Wishbone Movie
A new movie based on the Wishbone series is being developed. Universal Pictures and Mattel are working on it. Peter Farrelly will produce the film. Roy Parker will write the story.
This will be the first time Universal and Mattel work together on a movie like this. The first Wishbone movie was a TV film called Wishbone's Dog Days of the West, which aired in 1998.
Images for kids
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The official logo for the Wishbone TV series.
See also
In Spanish: Wishbone para niños
